The widow of tram crash victim Philip Logan says she feels her husband’s life could have been saved if the windows on the tram had been stronger.

The report into the crash, released today (Thursday) by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), said that all of the seven fatalities were caused by the windows smashing and them being ejected or partially ejected.

Tests in labs and research confirmed the windows were of the correct standard expected of trams across the country and Europe.

But previous research had confirmed that toughened glass – the type used in trams and buses – offered very little resistance to stop passengers being thrown out.

Mrs Logan’s 52-year-old husband died while he was on his way to work from New Addington.

Philip Logan was on his way to work when the tram derailed

Mrs Logan, 63, said: “I do feel like his life could have been saved if there was stronger glass. Perhaps all of these lives would not have been lost.

“I was enormously disappointed with the glass issue.”

A total of 15 safety recommendations were made in the report.

And Mrs Logan added that she wants to see each of these put in place as soon as possible.

Marilyn Logan thinks her husband could have survived if the tram windows were stronger

Survivor Rui De Sa, 33, questioned immediately after the crash whether the windows smashing led to deaths and serious injuries.

A year later, his partner Susana Gaiao, 36, says she feels angry knowing the same glass remains in the network's trams.

Rui De Sa with his partner Susana Gaiao (Image: Grant Melton)

"We will not go on the tram as it is," said Ms Gaiao, whose partner is still suffering physical pain in his back and shoulder from the crash on November 9, 2016.

"That should be a main priority now to change those windows. [Mr De Sa's recovery] is an ongoing struggle for us."

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Simon French, chief inspector at the RAIB, said investigators cannot know for sure whether laminated glass – which, unlike toughened glass, is held together when broken – would have prevented all the injuries and fatalities.

But he added: “We can be reasonably confident it would have reduced the extent of the damage caused to people in this accident.”

The RAIB has now recommended that tram operators and owners research how they can improve passenger containment by the tram windows and doors.

A diagram showing the damage to the tram windows (Image: RAIB)

It has also issued safety advice to the Department for Transport (DfT) asking it to learn lessons from that research to establish whether this identifies potential safety improvements for buses and coaches.

TfL says it is working with safety experts to test various options to improve the containment provided by tram windows and doors.

Investigators also recommended improving emergency lighting - which did not come on when the tram derailed - and looking at how evacuation can be improved if the tram is lying on its side, for example with removable windscreens.